As I walk with Andrea to the main lounge where I can see the rest of my family members chatting away with business associates and other relatives, my mind keeps on lingering to the mesmerizing look in my husband's eyes.
I glance around immediately in order to check if he is around, thanks to my lucky stars he isn't, oddly his absence somehow leaves me feeling more dissatisfied with myself and I shake my head to shake these unwanted and confusing feelings away.
In the center of the hall a big portrait had been set of my late aunt, candles were beautifully decorated on the small shelf that was in front of it where people came and started putting flowers and other artifacts in which they had great memories with her, right beside this portrait Andrea had asked someone to put in various pictures of my aunt that were now being on display, overall the environment was sober and made me feel nostalgic but there was an element of closure in it too.
They say when the dead depart from us they are no longer able to be seen by us, or unable to be prominent in their existence, but my aunt had different point of views and she made sure I believed in the same, after my parents death I was in a terrible state, anyone would be, after all I was only a six year old girl who thought the worst that could happen to someone is not being allowed to play with their dolls, the idea of losing my parents had never existed back then, losing both of them at the same time had taken a toll on me.
Everynight before bed my aunt would take me up to the roof top and we would lie down on the blanket and look at the stars, she used to tell me that many people say that when good people depart from this earth they turn into stars and constellations, but in actuality they haven't even departed, its only physical appearance that's missing, the relation, the memories, the love between us andthe departed will always be there, absence of their very being may be there but the fact that they are always alive with us, till we depart and even after isgoing to be there always, it's the way life is. The purpose of watching the stars was simple it was to feel closure and be more at peace and it did work we would sit there for hours and hours looking at the stars, joining them like a dot to dot puzzle and making various shapes, as the time to sleep would near, my aunt would hug me tight and kissing my head she would whisper in my ear, "The pain of losing would always be fresh regardless of how much time passes by, you just have to feel their existence around you, the love bond will never die, it will remain just as long as you believe in it and as long there is faith in you of wanting and trying to keep the ones you love around there is no being on this planet that can stop you".
Just as this memory trails to an end in my mind I feel and hear her words crystal clear in my ears making me turn around, and that's when I smile, I feel tears gathering in my eyes but this time they are not with regret and remorse rather than they are with comfort and the closure I had been looking for.
Various people come and I greet them generously as they enter each giving me a different form of condolence, some still are tearful, some have already forgotten the purpose and our coming just as to fulfill a formality, making me mentally roll my eyes at their arrogance and showy behavior. The spicy scent of the familiar cologne makes the hair on the back of my neck spike up and I sigh a little, soon I see Holder entering and the child inside me decided to make an appearance, before my husband could speak to me I rush forward towards Holder to greet him;
"Holder !!! you made it". i smile at my childhood friend, hearing my sound he immediately turns towards me and embraces me in a bear hug, I smile as we pull apart and then out of nowhere I punch him hard in the stomach making him hold his stomach with his arm and cower in pain;
"Oww... What the hell Ailes... that hurts"
"Well it serves you right for what you did to her, how could you, you jerk, do you know how devastated she is !"
"I... Is she ok ? look Ailes you know I don't trust people easily and I did trust her and she did exactly what others did, what makes her different that you are supporting her so much".
The arrogant response makes me reward him with another earth shattering punch and he cowers again,
"Stop punching me like that woman !!! Sheesh that hurts".
"I wanna more than punch you Holder, I can't believe you, out of all the people, you and I both know Alex and Nate are nothing but assholes they have always been, don't you remember how they had used Andrea back when we were in college, that's exactly what they were doing now, if you would have just opened your eyes and seen what was in front of you, Andrea has always supported you and you know that, listen if your just gonna break her heart again and again you might as well give her up once and for all because she doesn't deserve any of this shit, she is like a sister to me and I would not allow anyone hurting her even if that has to be my best friend".
I end my long speech to look at Holder deep in thought, I turn to go over and greet some other guests who are just arriving when I hear him speak,
"I love her... Ailey I really do. It's different with her, nothing what I felt with Rachael, I feel at peace with Andrea I love her a lot".
when I don't respond he carries on,
"Has she been okay, is she fine, do you think she will give me a chance?"
"Holder... I am not going to tell you how she is, she isn't the same girl I knew, if you ask me if she is hurt, well then, yes hurt doesn't even cover the half of it, and as for the chance, I don't know about her its Andrea we're talking about but i really hope she doesn't, cause frankly speaking if I were her, you truly don't deserve it",
With that said I turned around and walked up to Mrs. Harrison, she was sweet lady who had been one of my aunt's associates but after a little misunderstanding among them had never ever visited aunt Josie or I.
Finally, after the dinner was served my legs had started to feel numb, I decided to walk out and get some fresh air, leaning towards the balcony I looked up at the stars, the chilly winter air embraced me in its soothing arms and I closed my eyes relaxing a bit. Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me and then the familiar scent of my husband's cologne entered my nose, I turned around to see him standing not too far from me, looking right at me, his face not giving much, but his eyes deeply connected with mine.
~Adrian's POV~
The wintry weather outside had made me irritated to the entire drive to Oriental Royal. That's where my family had been staying for the past two days preparing for the gala. Evelyn sits beside me in the car, somehow, nowadays she seems to be very quiet and unresponsive, which makes me turn my gaze towards her and she seems to be lost in thought, I lift my chin up little as if asking her what is wrong but she doesn't respond, it seems as if there are actual wheels churning in her mind or she is trying to solve some kind of mystery.
Once I drop her at her apartment, she kisses me and leaves without a word, well that's new, shaking my head I rev up my car towards the hotel, when my phone starts to ring, connecting the call once seeing the caller ID, I wait for my assistant o speak.
"Sir, I have done all the arrangements for your flight to Scotland on Saturday."
"That's great Jodie. Is there anything else."
By the time she is informing with all the details, of the upcoming mergers and financial deals I am in the suite we are staying. before unlocking the door and waling in to the room my mind surprisingly wanders of to Ailey, her red brown eyes, that beautiful giggle that somehow has given me peace which I couldnt find anywhere. Its like she has begun to continouosly be on my mind, her smiles her comments, her behavior with my family everything has been some how in a weird way inspiring me. She has such an sweet personality, the way she admires the little things of life amazes me, its like even the smallest factors matter to her at a higher level, she is like beautiful flower in a garden of thorns, it surprises me how much I am concerned about her but I vow to be more concerned, because she deserves protection and I will protect her.
Once walking in my feet come to an immediate halt the moment I see what view stands in front of me. I don' t even care what and when Jodie had disconnected the call, my phone still connected to my ear, I stand there stunned while my wife stands in front of me her back facing me while she is just out of the shower in only my shirt, her silky black hair all wet from the shower and sticking to her neck on one side.
All of a sudden she grumbles and bends downwards, oh Hell ! What the hell is wrong with her! She is beautiful, I mean I can't stop her whilst her perky ass is on display, it makes me suck in a heavy breath making her pause her search and stilp for a moment, slowly she turns and her eyes bulge out, her face is all clean from any sort of make up which looks so refreshing and good, its like something astounding and so natural, her face is smooth and squeaky clean, her cheeks all pink from being so flushed, and her lips, damn, there is nothing so irresistable that I have ever seen, her lips are al pink and supple, out of nervousness I see her lick her lower lip making me feel stunned and bounded to the ground. She is beautiful. I had never realized this before but now as I do its like I am seeing her for the first time.
As I walk near her, she looks up at me as her eyes are all dazed. A mischievious thought enters my mind and I decide to implement on it, I immediately bring my hands up around her collar giving it a tug to make it look perfect, her eyes open all of a sudden alarmed and her lower lip trapped with her teeth. She really knows how to give a hard time to a guy, her skin is all cool from the shower, soft and so delicate under my fingers, like a silk her making me run my hands on it again and again, she is more beautiful than I imagined, seeing her blushing and flushed makes me want to do things to her, hold her squeeze her, kiss her. Suddenly, she looks so bewildered up at me, it reminds
me of the mischief I had planned, still keeping my face all serious I speak,
What ? Now we won't want the Mrs. Vittorio to not look presentable do we, since you are going to go in my shirt, why not I help you be a more presentable hmm..?"
This makes her blush a little more and she starts playing with the hem of my shirt whilst nibbling her rosy lip.
Damn she is making this harder, I want to just move down and lick that lip, kiss it, what is happening to me I do not know, but somehow she is captivating me in her own world. Suddenly her, phone rings and she pushes me away sprinting towards the bathroom again giving me a pretty view of her ass in her shirt, I smile, then suddenly a thought hits me, did I just looked at Ailey more than a friend and how come did I feel what I felt and most of all how come did this happen. Ignoring the feeling a fresh up a little and walk out of the room greeting Andrea on the way as she enters.
Ok guys here is the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. I know its not as good as the previous one but its something, please vote and comment.
Love you all
P.S. Negative comments will be immediately deleted without any delay.